RWBY Students of the Fourth
by Hysterical Clerical Hijinks
Summary: The Yellow Flash, he was a true shinobi regarded as a once in a lifetime genius. What if his genius was put to the test on the night of the Kyuubi's sealing? His exploits will be storied through the ages, and none more so than the tale of how Remnant's greatest champion trained the huntresses known together as the legendary team RWBY. Minato mentors team RWBY fic!
1. Shadow of Fire Relit

_Disclaimer: Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth own RWBY._

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><p><strong>RWBY; Students of the Fourth<strong>

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><p>Chapter One: The Shadow of Fire Relit<p>

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><p>As Minato finished the incredibly long sequence of hand signs for what could be his last jutsu, he couldn't help but feel pride.<p>

Pride in his village, fighting so valiantly and selflessly against the threat of the Kyuubi in defence of their home.

He felt pride in Kushina, who fought just has hard, if not more so, than he. She lay propped up against him, her shuddering, pained breaths only halted by her verbal outpouring; her last words to their beautiful son. Even as they sat, dying in each other's company all he felt from her was love and warmth, irrepressible and unconquered.

He also found some pride in himself. At the fairly tender age of nineteen he was a father and the leader of the most powerful village in the Elemental nations, Konohagakure no Sato, the village hidden in the leaves. He was hailed as the strongest in the world, a once in a lifetime genius. And it was this genius that he was using to the fullest in what he suspected was his last act.

He had been prepared for the worst tonight, developing contingency after contingency. He knew Kushina's seal could weaken to the point where the Kyuubi could escape. He was prepared for it. He spent hours and hours pouring over scrolls and tomes of the sealing arts. He'd found many seals and accompanying jutsu but few with the power to do what he needed done.

Shiki Fujin, the reaper death seal, was one immediate choice but he had quickly discarded that as an option. He did _not_ want to spend the rest of eternity in the Shinigami's stomach, thank you very much. He also knew there were other ways to seal beings such as Kyuubi. Mito Uzumaki had been the jinchūriki of the Kyuubi and her own seal had not been sourced from such a vast sacrifice.

He need not make such a sacrifice. He wasn't looking to kill the Kyuubi, or bind it for an eternity. The cost to do so would inevitably be immense; usually it came at the price of his soul. Something he was rather unwilling to bargain. So he had looked for many alternatives and indeed, had been successful.

So here he was, in the middle of the translocation dual sealing method. He knew if it came down to it and he had to deal with the immense power of the strongest of the Bijuu he would use it. He knew he would be unable to subdue the fox; he might have the skill but his powers were unsuited. He could damage it all he wanted but he lacked the ability to drain away its power, or to restrain it. No, he would need to weaken it first. The only way to do so would to be seal half the beast within himself as soon as was possible. He didn't doubt he would have to fight tooth and nail to steal such power from the beast but he was the Yellow Flash and he had a will of iron. He would not fail.

That part of his designs had gone to plan, he had indeed managed to seal half of the monster within himself. He'd managed it after what could amount to a rather odd tug of war, one of chakra and willpower. He had nearly been overwhelmed, but with Gamabunta's timely aid he had struck as the fox was unbalanced and pulled half its chakra free.

The second part of the plan was to then reseal half back into Kushina. Unfortunately that was not to be. Both he and Kushina were mortally wounded; skewered upon one of the ghastly claws of the demon fox in defence of their child. He would have to seal the malicious power of the demon within his own child, within his little Naruto.

With a rush of power he finished, pulling the last of the malicious chakra of the Kyuubi and sealing it within his only son. He could also hear Kushina weakening, her voice growing quieter as her long speech came to an end.

"Naruto, from now on, you're going to face lots of pain and hardship.. Be true to yourself.. Have a dream and have the confidence to make that dream come true.. There's so much.. Oh, so much more that I want to pass on to you.. I wish I could stay with you longer.. I love you"

Minato lay a small kiss on Kushina's cheek as she finished. "Naruto…" He rasped, voice hoarse from his grief, the physical pain and his growing numbness. "This is your dad.. listen to your motor-mouth mother."

He felt Kushina giggle very lightly, turning to face him, her face haggard, eyes dull but she was nevertheless a picture of beauty, an everlasting, ethereal being he would hold in his heart for as long as he could. "I love you, Minato." She leaned up, placing a small, linger kiss on his mouth. Slowly it broke apart as she grew increasingly limp in his arms.

"I love you, Kushina." He whispered as her eyes fluttered closed, her breath hitching and coming to an end in one long, breathy exhale. He felt his own consciousness coming to a close, even as his felt a wash of pinpricks swarm over his body. As blackness started to overtake him he barely registered that he was about to pay the price for the sealing.

The cost of the translocational sealing method was the death of everthing he knew. At first he had balked at this, abhorred by the cost of such a jutsu. The death of all he knew? He was in no way prepared to sacrifice an entire world! He'd read on however, and discovered the true cost.

He would lose everything, but nothing would be destroyed. He would lose his world, but his world would not be lost. _He_ would pay the price. Minato Namikaze would cease to be, shunted across into another dimension; the price of his final work.

And so it was that in one final flash, the Yondaime Hokage Minato Namikaze left the Elemental nations forever.

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><p>Minato came forth from his slumber with a groan. His senses assaulted instantly by smells, sights and sounds. With the efficiency of a truly exceptional ninja he recognised and categorised everything almost instantaneously. The smell of antiseptics, the beeping of a heart rate monitor, the feel of the cotton blankets covering his form, the mattress beneath him, the stark white neatness of the room around him.<p>

He was in a hospital ward. But more importantly, he was _alive_.

He was also completely unsure of where he was. The style of the room, the machinery around him... it was unlike anything he'd seen in the Elemental nations.

In a rush the events before his awakening came to him in a rush. Naruto's birth. The fight with the masked man. The Kyuubi escaping the seal. His own clash with the titanic chakra monster. His brief victory, sealing half of the Kyuubi within himself. His overwhelming defeat, as both he and his wife sacrificed themselves to protect their child. Kushina's final words, their final kiss. The successful sealing...

_His translocation._

It was at this point that Minato lost his fight with fatigue and his raging emotions, topped with surprise.

He fell into a dead faint as soon as he realised he was in another dimension.

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><p>When Minato awoke again he quickly realised he was not alone. Outwardly remaining calm, keeping his breathing unchanged along with his heart rate, he made a brief check of his faculties, tensing his muscles subtly for restraints or signs of sedation. He found none, he was completely unbound and drug free. With a subtle probing his focused on his well of chakra, reaching for it slowly. It flowed easily, coming to him as a second nature, following his thoughts perfectly. His chakra too was not sealed.<p>

By all appearances he was not a prisoner. He relaxed somewhat, coming down from his preparations for a confrontation. If he was not being restrained, there was no need for him to struggle, for now.

He slowly opened his eyes, zeroing in on the only other presence in the room. A tallish man clad in a suit of green and black. He had white hair and small glasses sitting on the bridge of his nose. In one hand, an incredibly intricate looking cane with a cross-guard; his weapon, it seemed. In the other a mug, filled with what Minato could identify by smell as coffee. His own cerulean eyes met the calm, brown gaze of the other occupant in the room.

"You're awake." The man stated. Minato was astounded to find that it was one of the two languages spoken in his own world. It was the newer variant of speech, having come from the integration of civilian and merchant families with the shinobi clans at the end of the warring clans era. He had used it often in his life, switching between the two constantly. He spoke the civilian tongue primarily but often named and spoke his techniques, his jutsu, using the shinobi dialect, as was traditional. 'Rasengan' sounded better than 'Spiralling Sphere', after all.

"I am." Minato said levelly. "...Where am I?"

"In the hospital ward of Beacon academy." The man told him, taking a moment to sip at his beverage. "We found you wounded beyond belief in the forest not far from here. I am honestly astounded you survived."

Minato sighed, sitting up, ignoring the tiny twinge of pain in his chest. "Me too." He admitted, palming his sternum.

"I've never seen anyone live after receiving such a wound. You are not even being crippled, are mostly healed and have awoken within a week." The man said, an air of curiosity in his voice.

Minato remembered the catastrophic damage the Kyuubi's claw had done to him. He had been sure that regardless of his translocation he would be dead. No one could have survived that sort of wound, short of a kekkai genkai or...

A _jinchūriki_.

"The Kyuubi." Minato breathed, eliciting a raised brow from the man, but he decides not to elaborate. "How did you find me?" Minato deflects.

The man shifts slightly, and Minato has no doubt he noticed the rather unsubtle change of topic, thankfully he chooses not to pursue it. "Our surveillance equipment registered an anomaly, and I sent out a team to investigate. Imagine my surprise when we found a horrifically wounded man in a middle of a clearing, with no tracks or signs of confrontation."

Minato can see that the man is fishing for answers, but what sort of answers can he give? "I was wounded in battle." Minato states.

"I imagine so. Your wounds are consistent with normal Grimm victims, for the most part. What worries me is the _size_. From what we could ascertain you were struck by a single, long appendage, most likely a claw of some sort." At this the man takes a breath. "I implore you, if you could tell me of the threat you faced I _need_ to know. It doesn't bare to say that a Grimm of such size and power could spell disaster if left unchecked." The man says seriously but with an honest plea in his voice.

'_Grimm?'_ Minato wonders, ascertaining that there must be some sort of bestial threat to this world. Before he thinks further than that, however, he decides to ease the mans worries. "I killed the beast that wounded me." He says. Technically a lie, but effectively true. Even if he were to die, Kyuubi would not be free, merely shunted into another dimension in a never ending loop. Without a true physical body, it would never have time to anchor itself to a world. It would travel through the voids of space and time for eternity.

A certain tension eases out of the man, but his eyes remain on Minato, assessing and sharp. "Impressive. I haven't ever even seen a Grimm of such size; to have slain it at your age is an astounding achievement."

"Thank you, uh.." Minato says unsurely.

"My name is Professor Ozpin." The now identified Ozpin says, bowing his head slightly in courtesy. Minato mimics the gesture.

"Minato Namikaze."

"So, Mr. Namikaze," The mans features take on a stoney cast. "Where are you from?"

Minato cringes inwardly. "Konohagakure no Sato." He says, hoping to buy a brief respite.

"The village hidden in the leaves?" The man translates, much to Minato's astonishment, with a raised brow. "I was not aware of such a village nearby. The name sounds Vacuoen"

"It _isn't_ nearby." Minato says truthfully, struck off balance by the coincidence that this world utilises _both_ his languages.

"Hm? I am fairly well educated in the matters of the world, as a man in my position must be." He takes a sip of his drink. "But what nation does this village belong to? To have produced a warrior of your apparent strength is beyond the ken of the smaller settlements."

"..." Minato remains silent, blanking his face and getting ready to flee.

"No? Well, if you could indulge me in one last question, Mr. Namikaze." Ozpin takes a seat on a chair next to the bed, placing the cane against the side. "What is the name of this world?" He asks slowly. A long, tense silence follows.

"It seems I was correct." The man muses, a glimmer of excitement flitting across his face.

Minato looks at the man evenly, stifling his panic when he notices no hostile action coming from him. "You are a perceptive man." Minato says.

"Thank you." Ozpin acknowledges.

"How did you know?" Minato asks, genuinely curious, still preparing to flee at a moments notice.

"It could be the fact that you arrived in an explosion of energy I felt from miles away, but nothing in the immediate vicinity was harmed. It could be your odd state of dress, or your unprecedented healing factor. It could even have been the strange energy I sense in you. The same energy that reacted so strangely to our aura, marking it as something else entirely. But, really, as soon as I mentioned the Grimm and you did not show the slightest hint of recognition... well, _that_ is what convinced me." Ozpin explains.

Minato sits in silence, digesting the mans words and relaxing when he notices the man has still made no moves to stop him in any way. "I was speaking the truth of my origins. Konohagakure no Sato is located in Fire country, in the Elemental nations."

The man cracks a small smile. "I would be pleased to hear about your world, and your own story, if you would."

Minato takes a deep breath, preparing himself for a long, _long_ conversation.

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><p><em>A few hours later<em>

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><p>"That is quite the story." Ozpin muses, tilting his head backwards thoughtfully. "I wanted to ask earlier, but is it common for your Kages to be selected as young as you are?"<p>

Minato shakes his head. "No. I was actually the youngest Hokage and the second youngest Kage in history; the original Mizukage was seventeen."

"Still, to be the head of a warrior nation at the age of nineteen is a vast responsibility." Ozpin says. Minato shrugs.

"I began my shinobi training at eight years old. I graduated as a genin at nine, I made chunin at eleven and jonin at fifteen. The average life expectancy of a ninja is twenty four. Yes the responsibility was great, but age is not a major factor in the world of shinobi. Power, intelligence and skill define our way of life."

Ozpin looks perturbed. "The average shinobi only lives to twenty four years of age? It sounds like a bloody world."

"It is. I didn't gain the first flee on sight order by keeping my hands clean." Minato says softly. "As much as I wished otherwise, I had to fight for peace, twisted as that is."

Ozpin sighs. "This is one situation that I find my experience lacking in. I have killed yes, but the scale you talk of..."

"Hundreds, maybe even thousands." Minato says, voice heavy with regret. Ozpin purses his lips.

"No, I cannot imagine what that must be like." They sit in silence, both deep in thought. A few minutes pass before Ozpin breaks the quiet once again. "I must admit, I am curious about this chakra."

Minato cracks a small grin, lifting one hand. He gathers his chakra, swirling it in a thousand different directions, all whilst containing it in a shell. The spinning blue orb in his hand hums lowly with repressed power. "Rasengan, one of my signature techniques."

Ozpin studies the strange power with intense scrutiny. "Fascinating. What does it do?" He wonders.

"This will grind through solid steel like butter, and even being close to it can cause intense internal damage." Minato says pridefully.

"A deadly tool." Ozpin says softly.

"Hai."

Ozpin turns to face Minato again as the rasengan dissipates in his hand. "You mentioned your other technique, the Hiraishin, in passing, what exactly is it?"

Minato hums. "Do you think it would be safe for me to stand?" He asks.

Ozpin nods. "You should be more or less fully healed by now." Minato reaches out and grabs an empty plastic plate next to his bed. Ozpin goes slightly wide eyed when an intricate series of odd letters bloom from underneath Minato's fingers, spreading across the plate. With a flick of his wrist, the plate is sent sailing to the other side of the room.

Using his imprinted chakra, Minato connects to the signal of his marker and flashes to the other side of the room, catching the plate in his hand.

Ozpin looks a little awed. "You have the ability to _teleport?_" Minato grins at him.

"My moniker was the Kiiroi no Senko, the Yellow Flash, the fastest ninja to ever live."

Ozpin studies him for a few seconds before breaking out in a broad smile. If Minato had known just uncharacteristic such a smile was, he might have been more wary than he actually was at the sight. "I have an offer you might be interested in, Minato."

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><p><em>Three Years Later<em>

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><p>Minato stood tall, enjoying the breeze and the spectacular view in front of him. The Emerald forest, resplendent in its lush green glory rolled out around in front of him. The breeze rolling up from the cliff's edge causes his cloak to flap and flutter lazily in the wind.<p>

He looks much the same as he did before his arrival in Remnant, but with a few vital changes. His trusty shinobi sandals were replaced by light leather calf length boots, as he'd been unable to procure his preferred footwear _anywhere_. His jonin vest had been replaced with a lighter replica, it was considerably less bulky and lacking the neck guard but retained its old durability, along with it's various pouches and pockets.

His other clothes looked much the same, but with a few small differences that made it easier to blend in. All in all, whilst his dress was fairly odd, it certainly didn't look _too_ out of place and no one had ever said it looked bad. In fact, sometimes he thought that his reputation was based more on his looks than his skills.

He'd been more than busy ever since he had taken Ozpin on his offer to work as a hunter. Whilst the initial introduction to the new world had been difficult, after liberal use of Kage Bushin and Beacon's library once the sun had set, he'd assimilated both a fairly complete understanding of his new world and some vicious headaches.

Work had been slow, initially, as his inexperience and lack of credentials limited his opportunities. Luckily, a recommendation from Ozpin counted for a lot in some circles. From there it had been a breeze to establish himself. He completed jobs quickly, efficiently and with minimal casualties, bar Grimm.

He _loved_ being a hunter. There was no moral grey area, no convoluted plots and dangerous political arenas. Grimm were the dark and were set on destroying man. Hunters were the light, intent on protecting all of mankind, human and faunus alike. There was no lingering doubts, as it was in his past. He had fought to protect his village and his loved ones... but so had many of the people he had killed. Only the lines drawn by their forefathers had made them enemies, and they definitely weren't all evil. How was it to have an enemy that was undoubtedly monstrous, to work for a cause that was _purely_ benevolent?

Yes, Minato enjoyed being a hunter very, very much.

So the legend of Yellow Flash grew once more. Like wild fire, tales of his exploits spread across the nations. A new, young hunter of incredible skill, slaying Grimm hordes on his lonesome, saving towns and cities and taking the fight to the enemy. He was singularly responsible for some incredible leaps in reclaiming old territory and taking new lands from the Grimm threat.

The cleansing of Raven pass, the invasion of the Harrowed haunt, the scattering of the nomadic Grimm packs; these were but a few of his achievements, some of the incredible battles he had taken part of and often lead.

Minato Namikaze, the Yellow Flash, a true champion of the light. There were whispers that he might be the strongest hunter of their generation, a legendary figure in the making. Like one of the old heroes; those brave warriors that have risen since the first days to stand at the forefront of the battle for humanity to usher in new heights of prosperity.

He was making a name for himself, the waves of his efforts being felt across Remnant. He was a man, barely twenty two years of age with a list of accomplishments of a successful, veteran hunter.

And he was back, where it all began for him. Back at Beacon academy, fulfilling the favour he had promised Ozpin that fateful day three years ago.

Minato Namikaze, Konoha no Kiiroi Senko, the Yondaime Hokage, legendary ninja and now a burgeoning legendary hunter was here to take on a team. To take up the mantle of sensei once more.

Kami, he couldn't wait.

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><p><em><strong>FAVOURITE~REVIEW~FOLLOW!<strong>_

**For those who are concerned about a completely OP character fic.**

**Yo! This is the start of a new fic that just popped into my head. I see a lot of Naruto comes to Remnant, which is awesome but I feel Minato is a better fit. Why? Because for Naruto it goes one of two ways: one, he is completely and utterly overpowered, blowing all other characters out of the water or two, his power is changed or weakened _significantly_ to fit in better.  
><strong>

**Now I'd like to mention that _no_, Minato is not going to be completely overpowered. His power is his own. He most definitely won't be _weak_, the man was hailed as perhaps the most powerful shinobi to have _ever_ lived. The difference and reason I find that his power is so much more applicable to Remanant is that it is all _skill_ based. Naruto is the strongest because of his incredible power, physical or jutsu wise and definitely not his finesse. Minato is powerful, yes, but it lies more in his speed and not the destructiveness of his jutsu. Naruto would could level a hidden village with a couple jutsu, making it practically impossible to balance him in Remnant. Minato simply does not have a jutsu that can do that.**

**His most destructive jutsu is the rasengan, which yes, is very powerful it is also fairly small and contained. Minato has large reserves in canon, but nothing like Naruto's monstrous chakra reserves. He can't pull off hugely overpowered rasengan variants constantly like Naruto can. So while yes, he does has some oomph, his largest rasengan could most like only level a small house. Fairly tame all things considered, seeing as Yatuhashi wrecks an entire courtyard with _one_ swing of his massive fuck-you sword.  
><strong>

**Now, I know characters in the Narutoverse move much faster than in RWBY. He was incredibly fast in canon without the Hirashin, probably the fastest on a purely non-jutsu augmented level. He simply won't be moving at those speeds on Remnant, it would make him literally unstoppable. Instead his speed will be relative to others in RWBY. Yes, he will probably be the fastest but his speed will fit within the realms of the RWBY universe. His speed would be shit in the Narutoverse, but in Remnant terms he will unbelievably quick.**

**So all in all, I feel Minato fits better. Literally _all_ I have to do to have him fit in is make his speed relative to the other people on Remnant. And yes, he will be incredibly strong but that shit is _canon_. Man is a Kage level shinobi and it's definitely going to show. But by no means does that mean his invincible or perfect, his old flaws will still apply. That'll probably come up in later chapters, though.**

**So yeah, I feel that its basically impossible to fit a power based character like Naruto into a heavily skill based world like RWBY, Minato fits wonderfully. The reason the man is the best isn't because he'll destroy everything in a three mile radius to get you, but rather that he'll kill you because he is simply a _better fighter than you_.**

**Anywho, I hope you enjoyed it and I hope you read the next chapter. I'll be introducing Minato to the RWBY crew next time, as well as showing how Minato fits in power wise in his new world.**

**Cheers!**


	2. Cute little students

_Disclaimer: Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth own RWBY._

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><p><strong> RWBY; Students of the Fourth<strong>

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><p>Chapter 2:Cute little students<p>

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><p>Minato stood onstage as Ozpin delivered the <em>worst<em> motivational speech he had ever heard. Frankly, to introduce all the hunter initiates in such a depressing manner was a completely in line with the man's serious personality... still it was _damned_ awful. It probably wasn't _meant_ to be motivational in any way, shape or form but seriously, these kids could use a little encouragement; they had initiation tomorrow! Ozpin really was a bit of an asshole.

Eventually Ozpin's speech came to a close and Minato took a moment to gaze over the various faces he could see in the crowd. All unique people with potential; no one even got try out for Beacon unless they displayed some pretty serious talent. Many of these faces had been sending him furtive glances, some even staring. Whilst his name definitely travelled further than his face, he was by no means incognito. Remnant was a world of freely shared information and his celebrity status meant that more than a few had probably already recognised him.

"Now, I have an important announcement to make." Ozpin said loudly, cutting through the low murmur that already built after the small break in his speech. "Traditionally, a hunter team consists of four members, two partnerships and one leader. This will no longer be the case." A great many gasps and exclamations of surprise came from the crowd. Ozpin lifts one hand to silence them. "Instead, you have been given the chance to become one of a_ new_ breed of hunters. This generation I have decided to act on a idea given to me by a comrade in arms. Those who pass initiation and form a team may be selected by one of our volunteer hunters as personal students." Stunned silence fills the hall. "The dynamic of such a relationship will be explained in further detail if you are selected. This is a unique opportunity, and a privilege, only the truly exceptional, those who show the traits that the individual hunters are looking for will be deemed worthy. Now, we will hear from one of the volunteers and the man responsible for this wonderful opportunity."

A burst of conversation came from all the initiates as they clapped politely as Minato approached the mic. Some clapped and cheered loudly, probably those who had recognised him on sight. Eventually the talk dimmed down.

"Hello, my name is Minato Namikaze." He said simply. Some students cheered again, but for most they held a slack jawed, pin-drop silence. "I am here today because I believe that Beacon is the home to a very select group of individuals. These individuals show courage, skill, strength, will and selflessness. These individuals embody what I believe to be the future; the future of hunters, humanity _and_ faunus kind alike. You are here to join the ranks of hunters, warriors of great renown that protect our beautiful world and all who dwell within it. Among you stand those who will take that one step further. Those who will do more than protect, they will instead further prosperity of us all. I hope to find these people, to provide them with the extra push to take them to new heights, to make the exceptional among you _truly_ extraordinary. There are hunters here at Beacon who have agreed to take on the responsibility, to take students and help turn them into the brightest crop of hunters the world has ever seen. It is my dream in the future to have provide _every_ team with such a teacher, but for now we simply do not have that many hunters on hand. Those that have come here come of their own free will, with no other incentive than to make you the best you can be. For that they should have your utmost respect. To be chosen will be an honour and a huge chance for you and your team. I wish you the best of luck. I hope that some of you pass my test and I can find my own team of cute little students." Minato finishes with a beaming smile.

Deafening cheers fill the hall as a veritable wave excitement passed through the ranks. Some were screaming about how awesome it would be to have the a hunter teaching them directly, many about having the Yellow Flash especially.

Minato ignored them for the most part, his eyes searching the crowd. This was the first part of his test. Those that were excited merely for the _novelty_ of the idea were discarded out of hand. Those who boasted about how they were guaranteed to have a mentor were also put on bad terms; Minato had no time for teenage arrogance. A few seemed torn between being excited about having a personal teacher to improve their skills and the novelty, which was better but still not exactly what he was looking for. Minato was about to leave the hall when he met a pair of gleaming silver orbs.

Eyes that held excitement, yes, but so much more. There was boundless determination in those eyes. Those eyes held a certain assurance, a sense of self he could _feel_, even from where he stood.

"Interesting." Minato muses out loud, still standing next the mic, causing the noise to cut out immediately. His eyes remained locked with the small raven haired girl on the other end of the hall, a few students doing their best to follow his gaze. "Some of you have already passed my first test," He says still looking at those silver eyes, now widening in comprehension, before he breaks and looks over the general crowd. "a great many of you have not. Let this be my first, and possibly only lesson to you: your every action defines who you are, no matter how small. These actions can have consequences and effects you could not dream to predict. Good luck tomorrow, initiates."

As Minato walks off the stage to bubbling whispers and talking in the crowd, even as Glynda directs the nervous prospective to the sleeping area, he observes the silver eyed girl. He'd seen how the tall blonde next to her had been snapping her head back and forth between her sister and himself as he talked.

The girl looked a little stunned, even as she was lifted into a crushing, boisterous hug by the bombastic blonde.

'I wonder...' Minato thinks, slipping away into the dark to take his rest for the night.

He had a great many things to prepare for tomorrow.

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><p>Minato stood at the cliffs, waiting on his colleagues. He was practically bouncing with energy; he was <em>excited<em>. Minato had always dreamed to lead, he would not have become Hokage otherwise. His reason for this drive to lead is simple, he loved having a positive impact on those he was responsible for. In the past, he had lead the village because it was his duty and he could provide protection for them like no one else.

But that had not been his happiest point, no. Minato had been happiest when he had lead his own, small team. Kakashi, Obito and Rin; his cute little students. To help improve them, to give them the tools to make the world a better place... it had been the most fulfilling thing he had ever done. Despite the heartbreak caused by Rin and Obito's deaths, he would not trade the experience for anything. He'd long come to terms with his loss, even that of his beloved late wife, Kushina. He was a young man and a shinobi, he could not dwell on it forever and indeed, he knew Kushina would chew him out if he did.

He mourned their loss, but he had moved on. He had grieved but his life was his own, and now that he had a new batch of potential students it looked to be brighter than ever before.

"Hello, Minato. You're quite early." Ozpin says, walking up to stand next to Minato, who smiles back genially.

"Hello, Ozpin! How are you?" He says happily, his excitement making his demeanour rather bubbly. Ozpin quirks a small smile at his attitude, a tiny bit bemused by his friends actions.

"Fine, fine. What about yourself? You seem rather... _giddy_." Ozpin comments. Minato shoots him an amused grin._  
><em>

"I _am_ giddy, professor." Minato confesses easily. Ozpin lifts one eyebrow as if to ask 'why?'. Minato replies to the unspoken prompt easily. "I _may_ have overstated my reluctance to teach." He says slyly.

Ozpin frowns, almost imperceptibly. "I bargained with you rather heavily to get you to come teach, I haven't worked so hard for a favour in quite some time." Minato smiles easily.

"Well, here I am and I couldn't be more excited." Minato says, straightening out his coat nonchalantly. Ozpin gives him a long, searching look.

"You tricked me." He accuses.

"Oh _absolutely_." Minato agrees with a smirk. A small silence follows.

"Well played." Ozpin concedes with a grin. "So you always intended to take up on my my offer?"

"Oh dust yes." Minato says with a chuckle. "What better way to get what I want? Your contacts in exchange for my services somewhere down the line. I predicted that you would want me to teach in some capacity; I merely provided an idea that you were interested in. As it turned out, it gave me exactly what I wanted. I got to work, establish my reputation and then to come back here for a team."

"If I wasn't so pleased that you will be looking to take on some students I might have felt faintly betrayed by your blatant manipulations." Ozpin says.

Minato points to his chest. "I was shinobi, deception is what I _lived_ for." He says dryly, but then he smiles. "But now I am a hunter and I am beyond excited to take on some prospectives."

"I am glad to hear that, Minato." Glynda Goodwitch's even tone calls out, approaching from behind Ozpin.

"Hello, Glynda! I didn't have time to ask you but are you looking for some cute little students of your own?" He questions with a grin.

Glynda gives him a look so dry it's almost mummifying in its intensity. "I'll have to keep an eye out for some _cute little students_." His grin widens a little.

"Ah so you _are_ looking?"

Glynda rolls her eyes. "Yes, with more hunters available to teach classes when they aren't working with their teams, I find myself... interested."

"There's nothing as rewarding as teaching." Minato tells her. She doesn't look impressed.

"I am a teacher, I might have noticed that by now."

"Ano, what I mean to say is there is nothing as rewarding as teaching a small, competent team." He corrects, then shudders. "I taught a class of students at an academy for a few months. I was ready to take a dive off the village monument after a week. I am _not_ suited to teaching little brats."

* * *

><p>Back at the Beacon lockers a certain white haired heiress sneezes suddenly, rather surprised by her body's sudden, apparently causeless reaction.<p>

* * *

><p>Glynda cracks a small smile at Minato's obvious horror, hiding it behind her scroll as she checks the time. "The students will be arriving soon."<p>

At this Ozpin looks a little _too_ excited in Minato's opinion. "What exactly do you have planned?" He asks suspiciously. Ozpin answering smile is benign, but Minato is a shinobi and his danger senses are telling him that something about that smile _screams_ trouble.

"I am merely happy to uphold Beacon's honoured traditions." He says evasively. Minato shifts his narrow eyed gaze to Glynda, who looks both exasperated and amused by Ozpin's attitude.

What Minato doesn't know is that the large, ornate square he is standing on doesn't just mark him as the observer (which is what Ozpin told him), it is in fact the _demonstration_ launch pad used in the Beacon initiation.

Not that Ozpin was going to tell him that.

* * *

><p>Ruby Rose is nervous. No, actually, nervous doesn't even <em>begin<em> to cover it. She was about to take the trials that determined whether or not she would be allowed into Beacon as a huntress. And she was doing it _two years early_.

Her anxiety had only grown since this morning as the task looming on the horizon grew closer and closer. Now it was more literal, as the group she was participating with approached the Beacon cliffs, the starting point of the initiation.

Next to her, Yang was literally _skipping_. She was more than excited for today, and Ruby knew why. Her sister was amazingly talented and would probably have no trouble completing initiation. She was confident, maybe a tad overly so, but she deserved to be.

She is broken out of her worries by Yang, who slings an arm easily over her much slimmer shoulders. "Don't worry so much sis, you'll do great." She says with an encouraging smile. Ruby returns it with a weak grin.

"Yeah, ok." She lets out a pent up breath. "I can do this!" She fistpumps for emphasis. Yang chuckles at her little sisters antics. As they reach the cliff they see three figures standing there already.

Headmaster Ozpin, clad in green, holding both his ever present cane and mug. Glynda Goodwitch, gazing over all the assembled students, eyes stern and features implacable. And the other man, Minato Namikaze, wearing his signature coat, looking thoughtful.

These were three very famous, experienced hunters. Ozpin was hailed as one of the greats of his generation, along with Glynda. Minato was maybe even _more_ well knowndespite his youth. The man's exploits were borderline legendary already.

Looking over them, each a person that Ruby admires greatly, she can't help but have her anxiety replaced with excitement. She was at Beacon, standing amongst the best of the best and this was just the _beginning_.

Ruby thought there was definitely a lot to be excited about.

As she approaches she can practically feel the nerves, the palpable tension in the air. A great many of the students are shooting nervous looks over the forest, or at the teachers. Some are even sending hopeful glances at Minato; almost as if to plead with him to take them under his wing.

When she makes eye contact with his bright, blue eyes she instinctively raises her hand in a cheery wave. His expression shifts to amusement, his lips quirking as he returns her greeting. Once again Yang is watching her little interaction like a hawk.

"Good work, sis." She mutters proudly. Who else but Ruby would get into Beacon two years early and then incite interest in such an skilled warrior on the same day she arrived?

Ruby looks at her sister confusedly, not understanding what good work she had accomplished. Yang just shakes her head at her sisters cluelessness. She hadn't even seen that Namikaze character so much look twice at anyone else, something her little sister had obviously not picked up on.

Ozpin clears his throat suddenly and all the attention shifts to him. "For years, you have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest." He gestures to the vast expanse of trees roiling out haphazardly in front of them.

"Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumours about the assignment of 'teams'. Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates... today." Glynda says, her seriousness of her message hammered in by her penetrating gaze. Ruby feels nerves bubble in her again at the thought of team assignments.

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well." Ozpin says informatively. Ruby muffles a groan at this, dropping her head. "That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years." Ozpin says blandly, almost as if describing a normal every day activity and not the absolute _insanity_ of partnering up with the first person you lock eyes with for the next _four years_.

"Whaaaat?!" Ruby yelps involuntarily as soon as his finishes. She hears something that sounds suspiciously like a snort, a turns her gaze to the offender. Minato is unable to stifle his amusement completely, hiding his grin at Ozpin's ridiculous antics behind his fist. When he sees the girl with silver eyes sending him a positively _betrayed_ look, his bursts into chuckles. '_Traitor!' _She mouths in accusation. He simply tilts his head back and laughs._  
><em>

She was really starting to grow on him.

"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you _will_ die." Ozpin says, demeanour completely serious. A jittery looking blonde boy laughs nervously and then gulps loudly. "You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. You will guard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?" Ozpin asks at length.

The nervous blonde boy raises a hand in the air. "Yeah, um, sir?"

"Yes, Mr. Arc?" Ozpin replies.

"I've got, um... a question. So, this landing... strategy thing... Uh, wha-what is it? You're, like, dropping us off or something?" He asks, nerves apparent. Many of the students send him incredulous looks for his ignorance of basic field deployment tactics.

"No. You will be falling." Ozpin says slowly.

"Oh, uh, I see... So, did you, like, hand out parachutes for us?" Arc questions.

"No. You will be using your own 'landing strategy'." Ozpin explains with a raised brow.

"Uhuh.. yeah, what exactly _is_ a landing strategy?" Most of the students are giving him looks of utter disbelief, some even of pity. Minato included. Little did he know this was about to be taken advantage of.

"Well, why don't we have a little demonstration. Scrolls out!" He commands and instantly all the scrolls of the students find their way into their hands. "Feed one, if you would." A chorus of taps and every student is looking at Ozpin with blatant curiousity once more. "Now, everyone, please watch Mr. Namikaze." Ozpin says, spinning on his heel to look at Minato.

Minato watches Ozpin through the questioning, growing suspicious. Unfortunately for him he barely has time to ponder Ozpin's inevitable betrayal before the pad underneath him shoots up strongly, launching him bodily across the forest. He straightens out and corkscrews horizontally through the air, tossing one of Hiraishin kunai at the feet of one the rapidly retreating figures on the cliff.

Ruby barely contains her squeak when the blonde haired man tosses a odd knife with incredible speed mid air, pinning it to the earth not two feet in front of her. She swings her eyes up, eyeing him as he gets smaller and smaller in the distance. Like many others, she now returns her focus to the scroll, watching an inexplicable airborne video feed of him sailing across the sky.

Minato grumbles some impressively coarse words under his breath, expressing his opinion of one professor Ozpin rather candidly. Luckily, Ozpin is the only one with the skill and presence of mind to read Minato's lips, and all it does is cause him to chuckle. As Minato approaches the tree line he claps his hands and kneads some _Fūton _chakra, known more commonly as wind nature chakra. With a clap of his hands and a exclamation of _"Fūton: Reppūshō." _Minato performs one of his favourite techniques, Wind Release: Gale Palm.

A strong blast of air is released from his thrust palms, pointed downward to slow his descent. This greatly slows his speed, whilst also causing him to flip in a lazy tumble. Manipulating his fall a little bit, he lands sideways on a branch, sticking to it for a fraction of a second with chakra. He builds up his strength and jumps forward, landing lower on a tree not far from him. In another burst of chakra and physical strength he skilfully lands on a trunk opposite, but lower once more. In this manner he zig zags down the two massive trees in a series of small jumps. Eventually he reaches the forest floor, landing in a neat crouch, before dusting himself off and standing tall.

Ruby, and most of the other prospective Beacon students watch in awe as Minato uses some sort wind power to slow his fall, then land on a branch. What follows is the single most _ridiculously_ terrific display of acrobatics as the man blurs down between the two trees in a multitude of short jumps. He lands in a very simple crouch, before he dusts his cloak and stretches upward. Some are confused when he cranes his neck, and closes his eyes briefly. Those still watching gasp in astonishment as he _vanishes_.

"You're an ass, Ozpin." Minato says dryly, having used his Hirashin kunai to teleport back to the cliff. He blatantly ignores the yelps, the slack jaws and the gasps he received for utilising his technique. Ozpin grins at him, the smug bastard.

"How did you do that?"

"Hm?" Minato makes a questioning noise, turning to face the source, turning out to be the young silver eyed girl in the black and red clothes. "What was that?"

Said girl gives him a pointed look. "How did you _do_ that?" She gestures toward the forest. "You just travelled a mile, in like, a _second_!" The girl exclaims, a little stupefied. Minato gives her a cheeky smile.

"Actually, it was much less than a second. More along the lines of instantaneous, really." His cheeky smile widens. "As to how I did it? Well that is my secret, ne little Red?" Much to his amusement, the girl obiously deigns his answer unworthy and chooses to showcase how unimpressed she is via a rather loud raspberry. "Good luck, kid, I'll be rooting for you." He says he passes her, missing her features turning into stunned shock, along with the slew of jealous looks from her peers. Ozpin claps loudly, getting everyones attention one final time.

"Thank you, Mr. Namikaze, for that excellent display! Now, take your positions."

In less than a minute all of the students are sent sailing through the air. Including the clumsy blonde, who is currently screaming bloody murder as he flips and soars uncontrollably above the trees.

"That boy is going to _die_." Minato says incredulously, unable to fathom how someone of his skill level even qualified for initiation.

"You underestimate Mr. Arc, Minato. He has great potential." Ozpin disagrees. Minato snorts.

"Sure, he might have great potential but unless someone saves him he is going to be a pile of goo when he hits the ground. I saw he had a bruise on his collarbone."

"And?" Ozpin prompts, unable to gather what a simple bruise could mean.

"I saw the bruise _yesterday_, and he still has it today."

You could hear a pin drop as realistion flits across Ozpin's features. "He hasn't unlocked his aura." Ozpin mutters, turning to look at the much smaller form of Jaune Arc. "Oh dear, that boy might just die."

Minato sighs. "You could at least _try_ to sound worried." Ozpin shrugs, then gives Minato an infuriatingly smug smile as he gives him a scroll, with a video feed of Jaune hanging from a tree, nailed to by a spear via his hoody.

"It seems like he was saved by Ms. Nikos."

"Isn't _that_ convenient." Minato muses, giving Ozpin a suspicious look.

Minato has never before heard such an unconvincing whistle of innocence.

* * *

><p><strong><em>FAVOURITE~REVIEW~FOLLOW!<em>**

**Ok, this chapter turned out longer than I thought it would, so I didn't get to introduce him to team RWBY. Nor did I show how he fits in, power wise.**

**Woops. I promise at least one of those will happen next time.**


	3. Observations, part one

_Disclaimer: Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth own RWBY._

* * *

><p><strong>RWBY; Students of the Fourth<strong>

* * *

><p>Chapter 3: Observations, part one.<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>Birdie no!"<em> The voice of the young silver-eyed girl Minato now knows to be one Ruby Rose yelps as she collides with a crow mid air. The result of the collision is apparently one very dead bird and one guilty conscience. Minato snorts with humour at the strange child's antics.

"You seem to have taken an interest in Ms. Rose." Ozpin comments over a sip of what Minato identifies as Oolong tea.

"I'm not going to deny it." He gestures to the scroll, rewinding to her small tragedy of a few seconds ago. "I don't think things could be boring with someone like her to teach."

Ozpin dips his head in confirmation. "Probably not." He says with a slight grin.

* * *

><p>Minato returns his attention to the scroll, going through the recordings, noting the various students and their individual landing strategies. Ruby's consisted of relatively simple gymnastic movement, something Minato could appreciate. A boy known as Lie Ren carved a deep spiral down a tree with his weapons. Minato marvelled that the boy didn't pull his arms out of his sockets. His eyes widened in surprise at the white haired girl, Weiss, and her use of glyphs to land safely. He'd developed quite the interest in glyphs because of their similarity to fuinjutsu; he was hoping to one day develop the ability to use glyphs with chakra instead of aura.<p>

He was less impressed with the girl Pyrrha and her decision to simply brute force her way through some trees to slow herself down. It was unnecessarily showy and easily gave away her position. And he was sure that at the very least she sustained some fatigue after using her aura to supplement her strength to go through the thick wooden trunks.

Two however, really caught his attention. Blake Belladonna used some sort of dual cloning-displacement ability to break her fall. It was simple, effective and _utterly_ silent. He noticed she didn't so much as break a twig upon impact. As he a shinobi, he respected those with skills in stealth. Remnant didn't have much in the way of stealth specialists but _damn_ did this girl have the potential.

Then there was Yang Xiao-Long. Now if he didn't know any better, he would have thought her landing strategy pre-planned. However, her spontaneous, boisterous personality and noted kinaesthetic learning ability gave credence to his other theory. Yang had, after one viewing, bastardised his _own_ landing strategy. Her acrobatic jumps, whilst definitely not as refined as Minato's, were almost as impressive. Minato had the advantage of chakra to stick to the wood, she did not. Using pure, physical traction and incredible balance she replicated his feat almost flawlessly. The blonde haired boxer practically _screamed_ talent.

* * *

><p>"That Yang girl…" Minato mutters. "She stole my moves."<p>

Ozpin snorts. Glynda sighs, but gives him a small smile.

"I noticed that as well. If you care to look, her _written_ landing strategy actually consists of using various tree branches as gym bars to lower herself to the ground. Yours is undoubtedly more efficient." Glynda praises. Minato gives her a thankful grin.

"The result of years of training. Well that and hundreds of years of technique building and field testing, I guess." Minato muses.

Glynda raises an eyebrow. She too had been clued into Minato's strange situation and had often found his stories of his past world fascinating. "Hundreds of years?"

Minato nods, looking thoughtfully nostalgic. "The Senju clan of the forest, once one of, if not _the_ greatest of the ninja clans. Their last great leader, Senju Hashirama, was hailed as the strongest shinobi since the sage of the six paths; 'the God of Shinobi'. He founded Konoha along with his best friend and rival, Uchiha Madara. The tree-hopping technique was gifted to the village as a whole by the Senju clan and served Konoha shinobi faithfully ever since."

Glynda nods, taking in the very interesting things Minato had mentioned. He'd not often spoken of his village or its history, so learning even this much was something of a treat.

Minato shook his head, dispelling his wistful thoughts before returning his attention to the video's.

* * *

><p>Just in time he catches Ruby in the act of making eye contact with her new partner, the white haired glyph user. He frowns when the girl practically dismisses Ruby out of hand, stalking away in a huff. Such displays of immaturity was unbefitting of a huntress. He continues watching as the icy female (<em>Weiss, <em>he reminds himself) walks into the clearing with the nervous blonde Jaune Arc.

He huffs a faint laugh when she promptly turns back and snatches Ruby by the hood, giving her an encouraging eight word speech.

"_By no means does this make us friends_._"_ Weiss says, dragging a celebrating Ruby behind her.

"_You came back!"_ Ruby cheers enthusiastically, fist pumping her hands in the air as she is dragged into the underbrush. Eventually she is released and Weiss stomps ahead. "_What's the hurry?" _Ruby questions.

"_I will not let my mission be delayed because you're too slow!" _Weiss yells back at Ruby. "_I swear if I get a bad grade because-" _

_'WOOSH' __  
><em>

Weiss' mumbling is cut off when Ruby dashes forward in an amazing display of speed. Minato goes slack jawed at the sight of it.

Ever since he had arrived he'd felt... _heavier__, _for lack of a better word. It turned out he was spot on. Remnant sits on a much larger planet than the Elemental Nations, thus the gravity was simply _more_. Minato could not move nearly as fast as he used to be able to, even with chakra. He'd still not found anyone capable of moving faster than him, though. It seemed that they augmented their physical ability with aura much the same as he did with chakra but he was happy to note that he had seemingly retained his title as fastest in the world, even without the Hiraishin.

That was no longer the case, it seemed. Ruby had just moved at high-jōnin level speed, while he was physically capable of moving at low-jōnin, maybe mid to low-jōnin on his best day. And he had no doubt her semblance, because the strange petal effect marked it as such, would only get better. Right now it was untrained but Minato _knew_ just how devastating overwhelming speed was and he could see an incredible huntress in the making in that girl.

All this was considered incredibly quickly, as the image of Ruby pawing at the air comically in front of a startled Weiss played out.

"_I'm not slow, see? You don't have to worry about me!" _Ruby says confidently.

"_When did yo-" _Weiss begins but is cut off by Ruby.

"_Just because I don't know exactly how to deal with people doesn't mean I don't know how to deal with monsters!" _Ruby says quickly, before jumping up and stretching an arm around a flabbergasted Weiss' shoulders. "_You're about to see a whole different side of me today Weiss. And after it's all over, you're gonna be like 'Wow! That Ruby girl is really_, really_ cool and I wanna be her friend!'." _Ruby says with a few hand gestures.

Weiss rolls her eyes as Ruby finishes her little speech, before she is left in a flurry of petals as her new partner dashes away. She bats away a few errant petals before glowering after the direction Ruby ran in. "_You may be fast but you still excel in wasting time!__"_ Weiss yells after Ruby.

* * *

><p>Minato once again tilts his head back and laughs. Ozpin gives him a questioning look. "Ruby and Weiss together are very, very funny." He explains with a chuckle. Ozpin gives him a half amused, half exasperated shake of his head.<p>

Minato is disappointed to see that Ruby had unthinkingly abandoned her partner, however briefly, to a dangerous situation. He moved on to a different feed.

* * *

><p>Yang is walking casually through the forest, calling to the high heavens. "<em>Helloooooooo?" <em>She yells, cupping her hand infront of her face._ "Is anyone out there?_ _Helloooo?" _Yang tosses her hands up in the air in exasperation. _"I'm getting bored here!" _She stops complaining when a rustling in the bushes is heard near her. "_Is someone there? Ruby, is that you?" _Yang questions, pulling the buses apart.

In front of her is a huge, black Ursa.

_"Nope!"_ She exclaims casually, popping her p. She dodges the Ursa's attempt to maul her by rolling to side, ducking under its leaping swipe. She flips away from another Ursa that tears onto the field. The original Ursa rushes forward but is sent packing by what Minato reckons to be a seriously powerful punch, coupled with a firing of gauntlet weapons Yang wields. The other Ursa fairs no better, being quickly knocked away in an impressive display of aerial taijutsu.

_"You guys wouldn't happen to have seen a girl in a red hood, would you?"_ Yang asks casually, both Ursai growl at her. "_You could just say 'no'." _She scolds lightly.

Minato grins at the video, extraordinarily pleased that he'd found someone else that could appreciate banter. He'd never been able to banter _unless_ he had no option to fight. If that was the case, he held no restraints and completely indulged himself. The problem was the he usually killed without being found, or was so fast it didn't matter. So what little chance he _did_ get to banter, he made use of fully.

As he considers this an Ursa charges forward to engage Yang again and she weaves beneath its two strikes. _"Geeeez, you two couldn't hit the broad side of a ba..." _Before she can complete her insult, a single strand of her golden hair falls in front of her face and lands on the forest floor. Minato notes with interest that she completely freezes and then is very surprised when Yang goes _ballistic_. _"You...You **monsters!"**_She yells, her eyes crimson and hair shimmering with sunflower hued flames.

She swings her arms down and _literally_ explodes, again, much to Minato's surprise. What follows is a very thorough, brutal beatdown of an off-balance Ursa. Her furious rampage of swings completely decimates her opponent and Minato can hear the cracking and shattering bones among the barks of her weapon. Again, her taijutsu is impeccable. He doesn't approve of her berserker rage but her flow, the ability to attack and keep up such an overwhelming barrage of strikes, effectively juggling her opponent mid-air to punish it is an obvious sign of prodigious talent. When she delivers her final, powerful right hook, blasting the Ursa through a number of trees he is completely _unsurprised_ that it doesn't get back up.

"_What, you want some too!?"_ She yells at the remaining Ursa. Before the Ursa retaliates a meaty, slicing sound is heard. With a confused noise, the beast promptly falls over and dies. Minato grins when he sees Blake retrieve her kusarigama-pistol-sword (_seriously, these people make some elaborate weaponry) _with a flick of her wrist. Her golden eyes are roguish when she smirks at Yang.

"_I could have taken him_._" _Yang says, by way of greeting.

Minato switches to another feed, but is looking forward to seeing what kind of pair those two can make.

* * *

><p>Minato frowns at the poor showing that Ruby and Weiss had put forth when they encountered a pack of beowolves. Lack of communication and a slightly hostile relationship had obviously not done wonders for their teamwork. He attributed it to arrogance on Ruby's part, which with what little he had seen of her seemed out of character and Weiss' naturally prickly demeanour. No doubt they would have to settle their differences before they could be any sort of real duo. Seeing that they are currently not talking and far from their objective, he switches over to the feed of Jaune and Pyrrha.<p>

Loud, sharp noises ring through the forest, causing Jaune to look in the direction of the sound. _"Did you hear that?"_ He asks.

Pyrrha nods. _"Gunfire. It seems some of our comrades have encountered the enemy."_ As they keep moving, Jaune keeps his head cocked to the side, completely missing when Pyrrha pulls back a branch. When she releases it, it comes back and smacks Jaune firmly in the face.

Minato's palm meets his forehead at the Arc boy's lack of situational awareness.

_"Jaune! I'm sorry!" _Pyrrha apologises, having turned around at the thwacking sound.

_"It's okay. Just a scratch!" _Jaune waves her off, exposing the fresh cut from he branch.

_"Why didn't you activate your Aura?"_ She questions him, looking curiously at his face.

_"Huh?"_ He asks cluelessly. Pyrrha blinks at him.

_"Your Aura."_ She repeats slowly, disbelievingly. Minato can almost _feel_ the regret.

"_Gesundheit_." He says gormlessly.

* * *

><p>"Oh <em>fuck<em> me." Minato says, laughing breathlessly. His eyes are burning with mirthful tears. Eventually he calms and turns to Ozpin. "There is no _way_ Arc got in on his own merits. If he survives the day then he has the devils own luck."

"Anything can happen." Ozpin says, affecting an air of mystery. Minato rolls his eyes, returning his attention to the byplay between Pyrrha and Jaune.

* * *

><p><em>"Jaune, do you... know what Aura is?"<em> She asks cautiously.

"_Psch! Of course I do! Do you know what Aura is?"_ He bluffs badly. Very, very badly. Minato cringes inside at the boys non-existent ability to lie. He's not sure if he could ever teach the poor blonde. He might just kill him out of pity. Pre-emptive humanitarian euthanasia, he'd call it.

_"Aura is the manifestation of our soul. It bears our burdens and shields our hearts. Have you ever felt you were being watched without knowing that someone was there?" _She questions.

_"Uh... yeah." _Jaune hedges unsurely.

_"With practice, our Aura can be our shield. Everyone has it, even animals."_ Pyrrha lectures.

_"What about monsters?"_ Jaune asks.

"_No._ _The monsters we fight lack a soul. They are creatures of Grimm, the manifestation of anonymity. __They are the darkness, and we are the light." _Pyrrha says. Minato finds himself nodding along at her brief description of Grimm and hunters. It was as good as any he had heard before.

_"Right, that's why we fight them!" _Jaune says enthusiastically. Pyrrha shakes her head slightly at him, her jewellery and hair swinging lazily in the wind.

_"It's not about why; it's about knowing. __Understanding dark and light helps us manifest our Aura. Everyone has some of both." _Pyrrha continues. Minato finds a growing respect for her patience and wisdom. _"By baring your soul outward as a force, you can deflect harm. All of our tools and equipment are conduits for Aura. You protect yourself and your soul when fighting."_

_**"**It's like a force field!"_ Jaune says with the air of someone who'd just discovered one of the secrets of the universe.

Pyrrha's eyes show the signs of the explosive sigh she doesn't physically release. _"Yes, if you want to look at it that way."_ Pyrrha walks up to Jaune, lifting her hand and touching the side of his face. _"Now, close your eyes and concentrate."_

_"Uhh... Okay."_

Pyrrha smiles and closes her own eyes, opening them as her skin glows and her irises shrink before shutting them again. The two stand there, now with Pyrrha glowing a faint red and Jaune a bright white.

_"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all, infinite in distance and unbound by death."_ Minato whistles at her incantation. There were many different methods to unlock ones aura, incantations being among the most common. Oaths, such as the one she just committed were binding on a level Minato knew he could never understand. Aura was the power of the soul, incantations tapped into this to release the souls latent power. Magic was nothing more than a fantasy on his world, despite the many unbelievable things he had seen and done. The fact of the matter however, was that ninja were super-human, not magical. But he couldn't deny the inherit mysticism of this world. Her oath, which Jaune was now bound to as well, would compel them to be strongest, most steadfast warriors of the light they could be.

He had no doubt that it was intentional on her part. Incantations came at a cost. The more binding the oath, the more aura was gifted, along with a more powerful compulsion. Many of the incantations he had heard had been downright mundane, or not particularly strong. People could always unlock an aura without them, but many took the short road. Unfortunately this had a habit of hampering ones potential, as some of their aura was locked away by their weak resolve forever. But an oath such as the one she just spoke? Promising to do their best to leave a legacy of righteousness that would span their world and last beyond their passing?

Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos were now bound together with an immense duty, but Minato no longer doubted Jaune would become a power within his own right in time. His very soul would allow nothing less.

_"I release your soul, and by my shoulder protect thee." _Pyrrha finishes, speaking softly and nearly falling over in exhaustion.

_**"**Pyrrha?"_ Jaune reaches out, concerned by his partner's sudden fatigue. Minato takes notice of the sheer luminosity of the young Mr. Arc. He'd never seen an Aura as bright, as strong as the young man's. He was sure part of it was the oath but no doubt that Mr. Arc had always been gifted with immense reserves of Aura.

_"It's all right. I used my Aura to unlock yours, but the energy that protects you now is your own."_ She watches as the cut on his face seals up within a second, then grins at him._ "You have a lot of it."_ She says through her grin, sounding extremely pleased, a glint of triumph in her eyes. Minato finds his opinion of her had changed immensely in this sitting.

The young woman was honourable, kind, respectful, wilful and downright _cunning_. The oath she had chosen was as powerful as he could hope to ever find, and it was completely selfless and benevolent. That spoke a lot of her character. But he could see that wasn't all there was to it. Jaune could have seriously hampered her progress at Beacon if he was to remain weak. With one move she bound them together to fulfil a duty she no doubt had intended to take up, oath or not, _and_ made sure that her partner would grow to immense strength, especially once she had discovered that he was some sort of Aura battery.

_**"**Wow..."_ Jaune breathes.

* * *

><p>"Wow indeed, Mr. Arc." Ozpin says pensively. Minato turns to him and Glynda.<p>

"I assume you have both just watched Ms. Nikos unlock Mr. Arc's Aura?" Minato questions.

Glynda nods, her gaze locked over the treetops, looking thoughtful. "It was a beautiful incantation..." She mutters.

"That girl is something special." Minato says, getting two distracted nods of agreement. "No doubt that Jaune boy will have a few rough months ahead of him but I believe that what we just have witnessed is pivotal, if his Aura is any indication. Oaths take deeper hold on those with higher reserves of Aura. With his immense power and the oath's level of strength..." Minato trails off into the air, leaving them to come to their own conclusions. Glynda nods, almost as if to herself, before stalking off away from the two men on the cliff, each of her long strides imbued with purpose.

"It seems I was right about Mr. Arc." Ozpin says with a small smile, taking a sip of his depleted tea.

"I'll concede that." Minato admits. "Pyrrha certainly took me by surprise."

"Yes, yes she did." Ozpin mumbles softly. Minato regards his friend, scrutinising his reaction.

"You seem proud of them."

"I am."

"They aren't even your students yet." Minato points out.

"After today, do you doubt they will be?"

A small silence ensues. "No." Minato acknowledges, watching as the two newly oath-bound warriors walk through the wilderness.

"Neither do I." Ozpin says. "Neither do I."

* * *

><p>Minato watches as the green clad boy, Lie Ren, walks into a clearing. A large, serpentine Grimm lay in wait, immense in size and power; a King Taijitu. Certainly not a beast that Minato expects any initiate student to face and definitely not as calmly as Mr. Lie, who barely flinches when the large black head rears itself and hisses menacingly at him.<p>

Ren adopts a flowing, defensive taijutsu stance, waiting on his opponents strike. In a burst of speed the beast slams it's head foreward, burying it's massive fangs deep into the earth. Ren escapes in a serious of flips before jumping into the air. The beast immediately capitalises, smashing into him and breaking his guard mid-air, sending him hurtling away. Ren skilfully adjusts and lands on his feet, preparing himself for the battle to come.

The beast attempts to encircle the young warrior, coiling itself around his body. He however quickly leaps out, brandishing two bladed machine-pistols, apparently his chosen weapons. In a jumping spiral he fires his weapons down at his foe, peppering it's hide with penatrative round. Minato can see the thick oozing of Grimm ichor from the numerous wounds. The black head tries to strike him but a spinning aerial kick sends it reeling backward.

The Taijitu moves in decidely snake-like manner, attacking the green clad initiate from behind. With a neat backwards flip he lands on the beasts head, impaling it with the two wicked blades on his guns. Ren turns and looks up at the white head as it launches itself at him, dodging it and landing just in time to see the head slither towards him. As it gets closer, he runs at it and leaps onto the black head, sliding over its body and blasting the other head.

Minato finds himself worrying when the young man is taken by surprise by the white head, knocking him down and scattering his weapons away from him. His anxiety spikes when the black head rears back to finish him, fangs bared in a downward strike.

"_No!"_ Ren cries, lifting his hands and shielding himself with his Aura. A pink wave of force emanating from his hands stops the beast in it's tracks, unable to push it's way through the protection. Quickly, the young man drops the aura, his hands snapping out and grabbing the large Grimm's fangs. With a twist of his wrist he snaps them off. The Grimm roars in pain, before lashing out and back in another attempt to slay him. In a dodge Ren spins around and slams a fang into the eye of the black head. Then with a powerful, circular, Aura boosted palm strike the fang is blasted through the black head, causing it to explode and the body to slump lifelessly. A deluge of brain matter and other bodily substances blast over the white head, causing it to reel back in surprise.

Ren takes full advantage of this, kicking up the remaning fang he plucked from the beasts mouth into the air in front of him. With a spinning kick the tooth is launched at immense speed, spearing through the lower jaw of the white head. The beast thrashes in pain and rage as Ren approaches. He sprints, picking up his guns as he passes them and takes a running leap before climbing atop the white head.

A flurry of slashes rain upon the Grimm's spine as Ren cleaves his way through hide, flesh and bone. The unforgiving metal of his blades eventually meets the thick cords of nerves located at the base of the Taijitu's head. With a deft slash they are severed, causing instant death to the immense white snake. The beast collapses beneath him but Ren doesn't so much as stumble.

Dusting himself off, he sheathes his weapons, causing them to shrink and fall into his sleeves.

"_Ppprr__rrwwwaaaah!" _A young orange haired woman calls out, hanging out of tree by her legs. Ren turns to her with a chuckle.

_"I still don't think that's what a sloth sounds like." _He says dryly.

The girl smiles back, eyes bright with happiness and mischief. She swings forward and taps Ren on the nose with a call of "_Boop!"_.

Ren returns her small smile, expression equally relieved and rueful.

* * *

><p>"Lie Ren has just killed a King Taijitu in single combat. He seems a little winded but unhurt." Minato informs Ozpin, who turns to look at him with a raised brow.<p>

"_Really?__"_ He asks, his voice curious. He relents with a sigh at Minato's nod. "Mr. Winchester and Mr. Bronzewing have just slain three beowolves." He returns dryly.

Minato snorts. "_Impressive_._"_

"They will undoubtedly reach the relics first."

"Doesn't mean anything if they don't prove themselves." Minato retorts.

"True." Ozpin concedes. "But the initiation doesn't actually _say_ anything about engaging Grimm, simply to retrieve a relic and return alive."

"Technicalities." The blonde haired warrior waves him off. "That'll get them into Beacon but it won't get them a mentor."

"No, indeed it will not." Ozpin agrees. "However, killing a King Taijitu unaided with minimal injury? That is highly impressive."

Minato hums thoughtfully. "The boy hasn't found his semblance yet either, or at the very least he did not demonstrate it. Despite that, his Aura control was highly refined, to the point where he used it in hand to hand combat to effectively slay one of the heads and incapacitate the other."

"I'll be sure to showcase that to Glynda later. Now, I think we should return to the matter at hand."

"I agree. It is just beginning, after all." Minato says with an excited smile.

* * *

><p><strong><em>FAVOURITE~REVIEW~FOLLOW!<em>**

**I hope you guys are enjoying this! I want to make Minato's choice, why he chooses team RWBY, clear. I also wanted his observation on team JNPR, purely as point of interest. I hope it made for a good read.**

**Next time, the end of the Emerald forest, team assignments and introductions!**


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